Switchboard and the like



M-uewfow F. A. MuscHENHElM AND F. w. VBLASDALE.

' swncH'BoARn AND THE LIKE.

APPLlcA'TloN mm Aua.17, 1918.

Patented Aug. 24, 192.0.

@www 4. Wm.,

UNITED STATI-:s

lia'rsla'romer..

FREDERICK A. MUSCHENHEIM AND FREDERIC W. BLAsDALEQoF NEW YORK, N.

SWITCHROARD AND THE LiKE. l

Original application led January 12,

i To all 'whom t may concern:

-Be lit known kthat we, vFREDERICK A. MUSGI-IENHEIM, and FREDERIC `W. BLAsDALn, both citizens of the'United States, and `both v residents of New York city, in the county and State of New -York, have invented cern tain new and usefulk Improvements. in Switchboards andthe like, of which the following is a specification. n

Our inventionrelates to switchboards Vand in the particular embodiment illustrated by the accompanying drawings is constructed as-.a hotel room rack ,to bc vplaced at the clerks desk, with provision for givingfand receiving certain signals at said desk, wherevby the-clerkmay operate apparatus located at a distance from his desk, and may also receive indications at his desk of certain conditions obtaining at avdistance therefrom.y Y

This improved switchboard is particularly designed for use` in connection with the novel signaling system seti forth in our application for Letters Patent liled in therUnited States Patent Oliice on January 12,1913, Serial No. 211,502Patent No. 1,327 ,837, issued January 13, 1920, of which the present application is a division; but; our switchboard maybe employed in otherfconnections also.k

An example of our invention is shown'in the accompanying drawings, in which ,Figure 1 is a vfront elevation of a hotel room rackembodying-our improved switchboard; p

Fig. 2 isa iragmentary horizontal section on line 2- -2 of Fig. 1 showing a portion of the rack on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 isa vertical section on line 3,-3 of Fi .2,.andI v .y

:"ig. 4 is a horizontal section showing on a still larger scale, one of the switchboard or indicator sections of Fig. 2. Y Y The switchboard or indicating apparatus shown in the drawings is located at the olerks desk, and is preferably constructed as a unit with the hotel room rack having numbered compartments `or .holders for kreceiving cards, suchas C, bearing the names of the guests occupying therespective rooms. While racks of this type are well known, we have somewhat modified theirconstruction so as to provide spaces for the placing of the indicating lights which according` to, our present invention, are `*used in connection with such racks. v Y t i The rack comprises a frame 34,with up.-

Specication of Letters Patent. Patented Ang 24 1920 Y 9 n n 1918, Serial No. 211,502.. Divided and this application led August 17, 1918. Serial No. 250,289.v

rights 34 extending obliquely withrespect to the front ofthe frame, between thc top and bottom members of the frame.A The connection of each upright` with the said frame membersmay be made by means .of horizontal angle irons 34f. Against the front face of` each upright, between-the cor-fv responding angle irons 34 is secured a piece of sheet metal 35, the forward edge 35 of which may be bent to fit the corresponding edge ofthe upright, while its rear edge 35 is bent at right angles so that it may be readily fastened (say by screwslto the.` corresponding rear portiony 34a' of the'upright 34 -To the metal sheet 35 we secure, as by soldering, aseries of superposed horizontal holders 3G for the cards C, the cardsr being adapted to have written thereon the guests name, room number, and other data. Each holder 36 has rits Iback inclinedforwardly and upwardly` as shown in Fig. 3, and preferably projects` slightly beyond the sheet 35 at itsforward edge. Each holder has a horizontal channel 36 along its entire lower edge', and a horizontal channel 3G along the rear half or portion ofl its, upper edge, the edges of the cards .C sliding in said channels as the Vcards are inserted or removed. The back of each card holder rests at itsupper end against the bottomV channel V36 of the next holder above. At the front end of each holder the room number is painted;A The `holders of adjacent sets or columns are preferably overlapping, but a sn'icient space is left between adjoining holders belonging to different sets to interpose the signaling or indicating' apparatus mentioned above as located at the clerks desk. This apparatus comprises forwardly extending contacts or terminals 33, 37, the .rear ends of which Aare secured to a suitable `stationary carrier 38 (fastened .to the'upright 34) Iinsuchl a manner, that one termina-Twill be insulated from the other. At the forward portion of each card holder is Vsecured `a conducting socket 39. The sockets ofthe same column, may be, for .instance, carried by a vertical bar 39 of insulating material, secured by screws or otherminals 33, 37 the plug preferably having a groove to receive the curved outer endsof said terminals, which latter Vare made of spring metal. The bulb is fitted into a tubular casing 43, of a conducting material to which the other end of the filament 41 is secured. rSaid casing is adapted to slide in or out in the conducting socket 39, and is provided at its forward portion with an opening in which is set a lens 44, to direct the clerks attention to the card Vor card holder corresponding to the room that is signaling. It will be understood that the parts 40., 41, 42, 43, 44 .are connected with each other rigidly and move as a unit when being inserted into, or removed 'from the socket 39. When -not 'in their 'sockets 39, these signal units maybe kept in any manner convenient for the clerks use, and we prefer to set them, when not in use, in vertical sockets 45 '(say of wood) `located in a board 46 at the bottom of 'the'room rack `and slightly in advance thereof, so as "to `ibe withinthe clerks reach. Y

Each of the terminals 33, 37 is connected by a wire 23, 49 respectively with-suitable apparatus adapted fto be operated under certain conditions when one of the clerks signal lights is inserted in said socket '39, the latter being connected rwith certain circuits by a wire 47 one for each socket. With the `particular arrangement of circuits set 'forth in our parent Vapplication above referred to, the clerk, by putting fa signal light 40 in the socket 39 vcorresponding to a particular room, ymay cause a signal Vto be given near such room, to inform a maid or other attendant that her services are requiredin such room, and by -certain "opera-V tions likewise described lin said parent case, the maidcan caus'ethe corresponding signal or light 40 to flash at the clerks desk, thus informing him that she has answered the call and is `working inrthat room, -and she is also able to cause thedesk light `40 to fiashin a different manner when she wishes to let the clerk know that her work in that Yroom has been completed. VWe have not deemed `it necessary to show' these circuit arrangements inthe present application, par-- ticularly since tthe switchboard or indicator illustrated herein might 'be used in connection ywith signaling or other lapparatus of different types.

Wegh'ave described and shown inthe present 4case `certi'an features in *the 'mechanica-l construction of the room rack irrespective of its electrical or signaiing features. These features of mechanicalconstruction arenot claimed therein, but in a separate 'application filed by ussimultaneously herewith.

We claim:

Y u 1. In van electric switchboard, -a-rackh'avinga series of `card lholders, two electric 'contacts adjacent to f each holder, 'a v conductumns ranging obliquely withV reference toV the front of the rack, and overlapping, two electric contacts adjacent to each holder, a conducting socket for leach holder, -said con# tacts and Lsockets nbeing adapted for connection with a signaling circuit, and azsignal lamp having a terminal Aadapted for fengagement with -said socket, a filament one end of which is connected with said term-i1 nal, and Aa plug connected'wth the `:other end vof said iilament and adapted `forengagement with said contacts to bridge the gaplbetween them-. f

'3. VIn an electric switchboard, a rack having card holders, spaced vspring contacts adjacent to each holder, aconducting socket adjacent lto said contacts, said contacts `and sockets having means for connection =to a signaling circuit, and a signa-l lamp-having a filament one terminal of which engages saidsocket when l'the lam-p is inserted therein, the lamp 1having .at one end, a 4plug :connected with 'thel other end of'said filament and adapted to electrically bridge the gap between the springs, Ithe lamp being provided at the other end with a lens torintensifiy the lighto'fthe lamp.

4. nan electric switchboard,;ftwo -adjas 'cent electric contacts, conductingsocket associated swith said contacts, `said `contactsand socket being adapted for connection with a signaling circuit, landa `signal'zlamp having -a terminal adapted for lfengagement with said socket, "a lfilament one -fend of which is connected `'with f said terminal' and a plug connected withthe other end'oi said filament and adapted lforengagement with Y between them. Y f v y5. 'In an .electric switchboard, two'ladja- 'cent electri'c'contacts, a conducting :socket associated ywith -sai'd contacts, said `'contacts and socket being `adapted for connection `with a signaling circuit, fand" ia signal lamp `'having va terminal adapted for engagement said contacts to electrically bridge fthe gap with said socket, `a 'sfila-ment ione Yfend Yof which is Aconnected with said terminal, and a Iplug connected Iwith `the i other end fof said filament vand adapted `rfor engagement with said contacts to electrically fbri'dge the f ap between them, -`the lamp being provide" @at the other end with a lens to -intensify-the lightrof the lamp.- y '1,

6. In an electric switchboard, tWo adjawhich is connected with said sleeve, and a cent electric contacts, a conducting socket plug connected with the other end of said associated with said contacts, said contacts kfilament and adapted to engage said con- 10 and sockets being adapted for connection tacts and electrically bridge the gap bewith a signaling circuit, and a signal lamp tween them.

having a conducting sleeve adapted to slip FREDERICK A. MUSGHENHEIM. into said socket, a filament one end of FREDERIC W. BLASDALE. 

